I'll Protect You
by mrs.carlgrimes
Summary: Deidre Thatcher was best friends with 15-year-old Carl Grimes knowing everything about him. Now she doesn't even know if he's alive. After being seperated from her group, she finds him again and joins Rick's group. But how will they find her little sister? -RATED M FOR LEMONS IN FUTURE CHAPTERS
1. Chapter 1

Deidre Thatcher scowled again as her younger sister, Angel, whined, "My feet hurt!" Deidre's friends, Julie Douglas and Markie Collins snigger at the little comment as Jody Thatcher snapped, "Angel, I rather my feet be hurting than being eaten alive!" The group walked silently, the clouds above rumbling loudly and Deidre pulled on the straps of her navy blue Jansport backpack that was filled with water, food, a shot gun and some ammo and two photo albums. For emergency only, Deidre had a small hunting knife in the waistband of her high-waisted black shorts. She wanted to snap to her sister that her own feet were aching in her black high top Converse All Stars, but she didn't dare, knowing how sensitive this new world has made Angel. The silky fabric of Deidre's light gray, loose fit tank top bounced against her shallow stomach and sent cool shivers down her torso. Julie Douglas-who was short for her age of 15- gasped, "Look up!" Up above the group of five was a cluster of berries, bright red and plump. "Markie can you get that?" Julie asked, her curly mess of bright red hair being pulled into a sloppy bun, exposing her milk white skin dotted with freckles to the hungry mosquitoes. Markie, the tallest 16-year-old Latina girl they had ever met, sighed calmly, her hand stretching up and brushing against the berries delicate skin. Giving a little jump, Markie's hand covered the berries and pulled them from the tree. Without a word, just a flawless smirk, Markie handed the berries to Angel, who in turn offered the berries to Deidre.

"Mom," Deidre started, turning to hand her mother the handful of berries they picked, only to find that the blond haired, blue-eyed 34-year-old was M.I.A. The scowl overcame her features again as Deidre sighed, "Let's just walk, Mom will find us when she stops being a bitch."

The tiny cough brought Deidre back to the importance of keeping her mind with the others and not in her own world. Angel walked slowly, the slight drizzle of rain making her pin straight blond hair frizz slightly and giving her light tan skin goose bumps. Deidre felt guilty for not giving her six-year-old sister a jacket earlier and leaving her in the brown short shorts and pink tank top.

"Angel, wait." Deidre said, pulling a small jacket from her backpack and offering it to her sister. Markie and Julie stopped as Angel put her jacket on and Deidre ran her hand through her dark brown curly hair. They were going to have to stop for the night soon, but where was the question. The rain stopped its steady pulse instead coming down in sheets of bitter cold water. The group pushed through the trees and shrubs, squinting in the dim light, made darker from the storm clouds above. Deidre pulled the hood of the jacket over Angel's head and pushed her forward slightly. Though the three teens could barely see, Angel yanked away from Deidre screaming at the top of her lungs and towards a tree.

"Angel!" Deidre cried, running after the girl, who flinched back and the disgusting smell hit their noses. A walker-or zombie as you may prefer to call it- was leaning towards Angel snapping its jaws. Another was closing in on Jody who was near a tree. It was too dark for Deidre to catch its features but she knew that the walker had eaten earlier, her hand brushed its bloated belly while she pushed Angel out of the way. While Deidre groped for her knife a loud clang was heard as something smashed onto the walker's head. After hooking her fingers across the handle of her knife, Deidre breathed, "Thanks Juju."

"Better hope my guitar isn't broken." Julie hissed roughly, pulling the black holster of her acoustic guitar over her shoulder again. Deidre shoved the knife through the walker's skull and yanked it out, trying not to throw up from the stench of it all. She knew Markie had taken care of the other walker. Angel was crying and Deidre quickly wrapped her arms around her. Directed to her mother with a glare, Deidre snapped, "You sat there! You didn't try to defend yourself! What would Angel have done if she watched another family member die? You need to stop being so selfish!" Jody stayed silent and Deidre pulled away from her sister and snapped, "I'm going for a walk. Try to stay warm, Angel."

"Guys, why don't you keep looking for a safe place to stay and I'll hang out with Deedee for a bit." Julie hummed softly, grabbing Deidre's arm and pulling her away gently. The two walked a short distance from the group and Julie asked, "Are you ok?" And she wasn't meaning the argument between Jody and Deidre, which was normal considering Mrs. Thatcher was leaving them all bit-by-bit everyday. She was meaning the walker episode, because no matter dead or alive, Deidre couldn't stand the sight of blood or the thought of killing another person. Deidre felt her heat drop and the little contents in her stomach start to rise as she thought about it. With a deep breath she gasped, "I guess."

"Hey, it's all fine, just try not to make too much noise when you're puking, ok." Julie teased.

"Shut up!" Deidre laughed, a loud noise catching her attention. Over the sound of the thumping rain, she heard people arguing.

"Let's get back to the others, quick." Julie said, "They couldn't have gotten far." The two girls ran fast to the area they left the group in and jogged up the path. No people were to be seen.

"They might be up farther," Deidre suggested optimistically. The girls quickened their pace and soon came across a stuffed rabbit. Picking it up quickly, Deidre softly said, "Angel." Julie bit her lip and jerked her head roughly to the left as a loud scream tore through the wooded area.

"Angel!" Both girls cry, and they ran towards the direction of the cry. In Deidre's hand, she held the soggy rabbit, her whole body trembling tremendously at the fear of what could happen to her sister. As the thoughts flew trough her mind, she shut her eyes tightly, praying that the warm water dripping down her face was from the rain. She pushed herself faster, hastily slamming into a hard thing. She forced her hazel eyes open and stared into familiar brown ones.

"Deidre?" The owner of the eyes asked softly, his hand finding it's way to her lower back. Hopelessly wiping the tears off her cheeks and pushing her drenched hair behind her ear she gasped, "Carl?"


	2. Chapter 2

"You're alive." The two gasped out in union. A scream erupted over the storm clouds and Deidre pulled away quickly, just to have herself pulled back by her arched elbows.

"Where are you going? What's going on?" Carl asked briefly. The girlish screams were coming rapidly now and Deidre wriggled and twisted trying to get out of Carl's grip.

"Deidre, stop!" Carl snapped louder.

"Let me go!" She panted, jerking away and breaking from Carl's grasp. Deidre jetted forward again, only to be pulled back a second time by her backpack.

"Deidre, stop! You're going to get yourself killed out there!" Carl snapped. Julie jogged up and soothed, " It's raining and you're hysterical. Dee, please relax." Deidre strained against the grip on her arms and she sobbed out, "Angel! Jules, you hear her! She's going to die without me! She can't protect herself!" Julie placed her hands on Deidre's face.

"She has Markie and god forbid if your mother doesn't start shaping up, Angel will." Deidre strained against Carl's grasp weakly once more, before slowly sinking to her knees. Her hands hit the mud on the ground in front of her as she bawled. Carl gripped her shoulders and let her sob as a voice called out, "Everything ok, Carl? Whose there?"

"Two girls!" Carl cried back. Shuffling was automatically heard and Carl nudged Deidre softly and murmured, "Hey, hey, breathe, ok." Deidre forced a watery smile and gave a watery laugh noticing the cowboy hat atop the young teen's head.

"What?" Carl asked, and then officially noticed Julie standing silently.

"I'm Carl," He laughed. She gave a short wave and stated, "I'm Julie."

"What's going on here?" A gruff voice snapped, stepping from the shadows of the trees. Not even turning around to see the person, Carl calmly said, "As I said, it's only two girls from my school."

"Friends with them?" The person asked and Deidre laughed as Carl rolled his eyes.

"No, Shane, I'm just here in the mud with a complete stranger. Where's Dad?"

Shane spoke up gruffly, "Back with your mom." Deidre could see that he lowered the object in his hand. Carl stood up and held his hand out to Deidre, laughing towards Shane, "I'm taking them back to the camp." After pulling her up, he said to Julie, "Come on Jules,"

Still holding Deidre's hand-who in turn held onto Julie-Carl dragged the two through the downpour, the mud that was on them washed away. The silence was almost unbearable and Deidre almost cheered with happiness as Julie suggested, "So… you two know each other?"

"Yup! We've grown up together." Carl laughed quietly.

"And I'm finally going to meet your dad," Deidre teased, the tears from moments ago, gone. Carl snubbed that comment and closed in on a bright light, saying, "Almost there!"

"Good, 'cause I'm freezing my ass off!" Deidre muttered. In response, Julie softly hummed, "What ass?" Carl smirked slightly, feeling Deidre's grip on his hand tighten. He pulled her in, her small frame fitting like a perfect puzzle piece to his lanky one and he laughed, "Leave my girl alone," Julie giggled as Deidre blushed, pleased that the darkness hid her red face.

"Here we are," Carl said, opening the door. Before he could even enter the house they arrived at, two small bodies quickly engulfed him.

"Carl! Thank God you're ok," A familiar voice to Deidre cried. A softer, girlier voice breathed, "Carl, I was so worried!" Julie coughed quietly, the owner of the first voice popping her head up.

"Hi Lori," Deidre quickly spoke, causing Lori Grimes to push her son away and gasp, "Deidre? Oh my God! You and your friend are soaked, come on. Come on!" Lori motioned quickly to the inside of the house and Julie happily obliged, Deidre being forced to follow. They quickly pulled through some rooms until Lori stopped and ushered them in.

"Thank you." Julie sighed. Lori nodded and Deidre said, "That's Julie, Mrs. Grimes." A soft cloth playfully batted Deidre in the face as Lori giggled, "Don't call me that Little Miss! You make me feel old." After a few moments, two bundles were tossed up onto the bed.

"Change into that and meet me back in the living room." Lori called, exiting the room. Julie yanked her shirt over her head, successfully showing her dark blue, 36 C bra to Deidre who shook, teeth chattering. Julie pulled the shirt tossed onto the bed over her chubby frame and turned to Deidre.

"Start changing, Dee!" As an afterthought, Julie added, "You know what I'm going to miss the most?" Deidre pried her tank top over her head and grabbed the tight dark green, long-sleeved shirt that was thrown on the bed trying to hide her A-cups.

"What?" Deidre asked, pulling the shirt over her head and shimming out of her shorts.

"Victoria's Secret." Julie sighed, taking her shorts off too. The two girls slid into the jeans that had been laid on the bed.

Deidre ran a hand through her sopping wet ponytail, pulling them out of it. She started to braid her hair as Julie gathered their clothes.

"Ready to go out?" Julie announced.

"Yeah," Deidre mumbled, her hair fully braided. The two quietly exited the room and headed towards a light filled room. Deidre peeked over the corner seeing people sitting in a circle across the large room. She silently counted eleven people, only two she knew. Julie walked out of the hallway and awkwardly coughed while Deidre followed behind her.

"Hi girls," Lori announced loudly, causing everyone's gaze to flick to the two. Deidre blushed and looked down, her eyes meeting Carl's. He smiled warmly and as she walked by, he grabbed her hand and pulled her down.

"You ok now?" He whispered, a smirk dancing across his baby faced features.

"I guess, I should be. I mean, if I didn't bump into you or let you stop me, Julie and I would be dead by now." Deidre laughed softly. Carl rolled his eyes and was about to respond when a female with a thick southern accent cut in, "What's your guys' story?"

"That's Maggie," Carl muttered quietly. Julie started explaining about the two getting lost in the woods as Carl continued, "The blond next to her is Andrea, then the guy next to her is Daryl. The old man next to him is Dale, and then the other guy is Maggie's dad, Hershel. The Asian looking one is Glenn and next to him is Shane. Back to Maggie, moms on the other side of her, next to dad-Rick- and the blond girl, Beth, Maggie's sister. One person, Carol, is in the kitchen right now."

"Shush!" The blond girl on the other side of Carl hissed quietly, in tune to what Julie was saying.

"An that's Sophia, "Carl said under his breath. One man-Rick stood up, "Welcome to our group,"

"Thanks," I spoke up. "I'm Deidre Thatcher, that's Julie Douglas." The group seemed to dispatch after that, everyone going to check the area.

"That was awkward, you could've spoke up!" Julie laughed to Deidre after Lori left. Deidre leaned against Carl, his arm over her shoulder like they sat before the apocalypse.

"So, what did you mean that you let me stop you?" Carl asked to Deidre while Sophia laughed quietly. Untangling herself from Carl's arm, Deidre pulled away teasing, "You know what I mean!" Julie rested her head on Deidre's shoulder, a yawn brushing past her lips.

"I'm Sophia," Sophia said to Julie, standing up. "You two must be tired, come on, you can stay in my room."

Carl faked a pout and he said, "I'll go back to the barn, see 'ya!" As Sophia led the two down the hallway they had went down before, she spoke, "Deidre, I heard Carl point out who was who, so I assume that you remember the name Hershel."

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, this is his farm, so if anything happens tell him or Rick, ok?"

"Ok," Deidre smiled softly. Sophia opened a door and said, "You guys can stay here, and I'm just going to help my mom in the kitchen. Rest well!" Then she left.

"That was easier than expected." Julie hummed. Deidre nodded, a yawn escaping her mouth.

"See you in a few hours," Deidre mumbled, as she settled into a comfortable area. Her eyes closed automatically and her breathing evened out.

"You fall asleep quick," Julie whispered. She then proceeded to do the same thing Dee did.


End file.
